Russell Brand speaks to MPs: in pictures

Gold chains, hat, and torn black vest top is not the kind of outfit you'd expect to see in the Houses of Parliament, but it is what Russell Brand went with as he appeared before MPs today. The comedian and actor has just appeared before the Home Affairs Select Committee, addressing a government inquiry into drugs policy.

A former heroin addict, Brand discussed his own history, as well as a documentary he has made on the nature of addiction. He told the committee that he wasn't qualified to speak on the legalisation of drugs, but that addiction should be treated as a health issue rather than a criminal one. He said society should not "discard people, write them off on methadone and leave them on the sidelines".